Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Due to an overwhelming demand from fans who are desperate to hear DIRGE, the new album from Singapore grinders WORMROT, the band and Earache Records have made the entire 25-track grindcore masterpiece available to download for free.

Due to be released on physical formats on May 3rd in North America and May 23rd in Europe, DIRGE is already causing such a buzz on the internet that fans the world over are trying to get hold of the album well in advance of its official release.

Earache and WORMROT have decided to give the fans what they want and spare them the possibility of downloading viruses and malware from untrusted websites by offering a free MP3 download of the complete album from the official Earache page.

WORMROT have made the following statement:

"We realised that all you grinders were so excited for more 'Abuse' with DIRGE that it's leaked, so we said 'what the fuck, here it is' - for you free in MP3 format to download right now. Get a t-shirt while you're at it you fucking cheapskates! Nabey cheebai!"

Monday, March 28, 2011

British thrashers EVILE recently entered the studio to begin recording their third album.

The band are holed up at Parlour Studios in Kettering and are once again working with producer RUSS RUSSELL (NAPALM DEATH, DIMMU BORGIR), who recorded the band's previous effort, 2009's INFECTED NATIONS.

You can also view a number of photos from the studio on the band's official Facebook page at http://j.mp/gml1ya

EVILE lead guitarist OL DRAKE comments from the studio:

"All drums are down and sounding great. Huge and well written. Ben did an awesome job and got them down fast. We're on the eighth day now and we've just started tracking the guitars. There's a very relaxed and fun atmosphere in the studio, so I think that's helping to get things done. It's my birthday today too, so buy me some Jagermeister or some porn and shout something at me on Facetube!"

EVILE have a number of summer shows already scheduled, including a performance at the legendary Download festival in the UK. Catch them live at the following confirmed shows:

EVILE's thrash metal anthem, "Thrasher". is available to download now on the Rock Band Network, along with every song from INFECTED NATIONS. Get the tracks now by heading to EVILE's official Rock Band page at http://www.rockband.com/songs/artists/Evile

Singapore grindcore trio WORMROT have released a new music video, for the track "Spot A Pathetic", which is taken from the band's upcoming new album, DIRGE.

Filmed just weeks ago at The Blvd in Los Angeles, California, the video for "Spot A Pathetic" captures WORMROT at their best, performing live in front of a packed crowd of riotous grinders and metalheads. The video was directed by DAVE VORHES (WHITE WIZZARD, BONDED BY BLOOD).

DIRGE is due to be released in North America on May 3rd, and in Europe on May 23rd. The album features 25 tracks of insane grindcore and will be available on CD, as well as limited edition coloured vinyl LP with 2 bonus tracks.

The coloured vinyl will be available in the following quantities and colours:

Friday, March 25, 2011

ENFORCER and BULLET will be co-headlining the tour, which kicks off on April 7th in Hamburg, Germany.

ENFORCER frontman OLOF WIKSTRAND comments:

"After a great success in the far east, we now take our forces back to Europe for a short run before the summer along with our fellows from BULLET and SKULL FIST. This time we will play a few more songs than last time, both new and old, and we'll also take our show to new, extreme and aggressive heights. Look out, beware, when the full moon's high and bright!"

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Scottish death metal act CEREBRAL BORE are preparing for a headlining performance at 'A Day of Sonic Obliteration' this Sunday, 27th March in London, UK.

The band will be celebrating the upcoming Earache Records release of their debut album, MANIACAL MISCREATION, with a brutally unforgettable show at the Purple Turtle, featuring plenty of killer tracks off the new album.

CEREBRAL BORE guitarist PAUL MCGUIRE comments:

"This Sunday we're headlining an all-dayer at the Purple Turtle in Camden. It's our first show since we signed to Earache and we are chuffed to be doing it in London! Always a good reception and up-for-it gig-goers. It will be good to see some of the other bands on the bill that we are already familiar with, especially Dead Beyond Buried. London, prepare to be repeatedly jabbed in the face by a live dose of Maniacal Miscreation!"

British crossover thrashers SSS recently finished recording their forthcoming new album, which is due to be released later this year on Earache Records.

The new album, titled PROBLEMS TO THE ANSWER, was recorded at Whitewood Studios in the band's home town of Liverpool and is produced by ROB WHITELEY along with SSS bassist MARK MAGILL.

SSS frontman FOXY explains the title of the new album:

"The title PROBLEMS TO THE ANSWER gives outspoken practical solutions to problems faced in everyday life. External factors shape not only today, but yesterday and into tomorrow. SSS attempts to provide answers - for better or worse - in our most vicious recording to date."

SSS have been documenting the creation of their new album as it happens. Check out the updates and photos from the recording of PROBLEMS TO THE ANSWER at the band's official blog at http://shortsharpshockuk.tumblr.com

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Californian thrashers BONDED BY BLOOD are currently shredding their way around Europe on a co-headlining tour with LAZARUS A.D.

The tour is BONDED BY BLOOD's first outing in Europe with new frontman MAURO GONZALEZ. Following the first leg of the tour in the UK, the band are now in mainland Europe where bassist JERRY GARCIA has been keeping a tour diary of the band's antics.

An excerpt from JERRY's latest tour update follows:

"Hey what's up guys! Just checking in here from Vienna in Austria. We had some incredibly epic nights recently and the highlights without a doubt are Zurich, Switzerland and Prague, Czech Republic! The fans out there absolutely kick ass. We had fans hanging from the ceiling, singing our songs, jumping on stage, buying us all sorts of alcoholic beverages, buying us pizza! Great times in both of these countries. It is such an honor to be able to come halfway across the globe and meet people that want nothing more than to spend some time with you and have a beer or two. It is an incredibly humbling experience and one I will never forget.

"The scenery out here is rad! Everything looks so epic that it is hard to explain. After touring nothing but North America I am happy to see a forest where different kinds of trees grow and animals live, or buildings that were built hundreds of years ago compared to the skyscrapers of New York.

"Lately we all came down with a bit of a cold and cough. We're doing better now and the great catering we get every night is helping us get back to 100% way faster than any of the times we've been sick on tour in the States when all we have to eat sometimes is a McDouble and tap water."

WOODS 4: THE GREEN ALBUM, the latest album from Canadian blackened doom merchants WOODS OF YPRES, is out now in North America.

Originally released in 2009, WOODS 4: THE GREEN ALBUM received critical acclaim upon its release, and has now been reissued worldwide by Earache Records.

WOODS 4: THE GREEN ALBUM is available now on CD, and will be available on limited edition coloured double vinyl on April 11th exclusively from the Earache Webstore. The limited edition vinyl will be available in the following colors and quantities:

WOODS OF YPRES recently released a new music video for the track, "I Was Buried In Mount Pleasant Cemetery", which is taken from WOODS 4: THE GREEN ALBUM. Watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9TvcAMENJE

iTunes, the worlds largest digital music store, is celebrating world-class metal music with an exclusive iTunes Metal Sale in the USA.

The iTunes Metal Sale features a number of artists from the Earache Records roster, ranging from such classic bands as MORBID ANGEL through to newer talents such as EVILE - all sat amongst metal giants like METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, IRON MAIDEN, BLACK SABBATH and more.

The iTunes Metal Sale is running now for one week only (March 22 - March 29), with all featured albums available at the great discount price of just $7.99!

The full list of Earache artists and albums featured in the iTunes Metal Sale is as follows:

Friday, March 18, 2011

WOODS 4: THE GREEN ALBUM, the latest album from Canadian blackened doom merchants WOODS OF YPRES, has just been released in Europe and is due to hit North America on Tuesday, March 22nd.

WOODS OF YPRES founding member and frontman DAVID GOLD recently took some time to discuss the writing process for the album. Read part 2 below:

"A year from the day I arrived back in Canada, July 2009, we were in the studio with a new band, two tours already behind us, and we were recording W4: The Green Album. By the fall and another tour later, we were signed to Earache Records. Now, March 2011, The Green Album gets a worldwide release, less than two years since we started writing it and less than four years since I first said 'fuck it all' and moved to Seoul. What can I say? The plan? It was just so crazy that it worked!

"The Green Album was certainly the only album I knew how to write as it was the only thing still preoccupying what was left of my heart and brain at the time and I'm thankful that something good could come of it all, after all. The 16 songs of the album tell the story through the stages of such a journey that inevitably gets a whole lot worse before it gets any better. What starts with total life-changing devastation ends with the arrival of spring again and the promise of summer. If nothing else at all, at the time, it was enough.

"W4: The Green Album was certainly an inspired creation and has more reason to exist than anything else we'd ever written to date. It wasn't just more music for music's sake, but literally life and death, to me. That album is honest, about something real and based on true events. At nearly 80 minutes of music ranging from gothic doom, post-rock, sludge, prog and forest metal, listen, take what you like and leave the rest.

"These have been a rather painful four years for a lot of people. If you've recently felt your world shift and experienced change against your will, you'll likely relate to W4: The Green Album. Four years later, acceptance is hope for the rest of the journey, for we've found that the journey does continue after all. Grieve the loss of everything you once loved but always keep moving forward. Drag that weight!"

Californian thrashers BONDED BY BLOOD are currently on the road in Europe with fellow thrashers LAZARUS A.D. for a co-headlining tour.

The band are tearing their way around 14 countries and have just wrapped up the first leg of the tour in the UK. The shows are BONDED BY BLOOD's first appearances in Europe with their new frontman, MAURO GONZALEZ.

BONDED BY BLOOD bassist JERRY GARCIA has posted an update from the road. An excerpt follows:

"Well it's been 10 days now since we landed in Europe. I was excited to return here and do an actual tour this time around! The tour has been great thus far... Minus a few bumps on the road here and there. Luckily everything has been sorted out and we seem to be back in full throttle for the next few weeks.

"Apparently there has been many things going on across the globe in the past week or so; watching footage of the tsunami in Japan was something that I will never, ever forget... My thoughts go out to the Japanese that were affected by these events.

"I love the UK, it reminds me a lot of the States but with a different atmosphere. The shows have been pretty great, especially in Leeds and in Glasgow! Thank you for the good times, UK!

"Tonight is our first night here in Germany. So far the hospitality has been great and I'm glad to be out of the UK and explore new countries! Thank you to everyone that has come out to see us over the past 9 days, you guys kick ass!"

Thursday, March 17, 2011

British thrashers EVILE are set to enter the studio this weekend to begin recording their third album.

EVILE will be playing a show in London this Friday, 18th March with CHTHONIC, before heading to Prestatyn, Wales on Saturday for a performance at Hammerfest. The band will then be heading into Parlour Studios on Sunday to begin recording the follow-up to 2009's INFECTED NATIONS, and will once again be working with producer RUSS RUSSELL (NAPALM DEATH, DIMMU BORGIR).

EVILE lead guitarist OL DRAKE comments:

"This has been one hell of a 2011 already. We've been working non-stop on the material for Evile's third album since early last year, and the past few months saw the workload pile up drastically. We're on top of it though.

"Tomorrow we play London with our friends Chthonic from Taiwan, then we head over to Prestatyn for Hammerfest. Just like with Infected Nations, we're again heading to the studio shortly after playing Hammerfest, though this time it's the very day after. To the great Parlour Studios we will venture along with the even greater Russ Russell. He was at the helm/desk/brain for 'Infected Nations', and we see him as a member of the band, even more so on this third offering. We'll be in there for approximately a month, and we'll be focusing on roughly ten tracks to delight your ears.

"If I was to say what the direction of this third album would be, I'd have to say a mix of the approach to 'Enter the Grave', the ideas on 'Infected Nations' and an amalgamation of brand new ideas we can't wait to try out. We have to try out new things as artists; we don't ever ever want to stick to doing the same thing all the time. It will be aggressive yet mature, in my opinion, and before your ask - yes, fast."

EVILE's thrash metal anthem, "Thrasher", is available to download now on the Rock Band Network, along with every song from INFECTED NATIONS. Get the tracks now by heading to EVILE's official Rock Band page at http://www.rockband.com/songs/artists/Evile

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Californian blues-rockers RIVAL SONS have been confirmed for this year's notorious High Voltage festival, which takes place on July 23rd and 24th at London's Victoria Park in the UK.

RIVAL SONS have also just been confirmed for Main Square Festival in France as well as Belgium's Rock Werchter - one of the largest annual rock festivals in Europe. The band will be performing on the Main Stage of High Voltage on Saturday, July 23rd and will be playing alongside an impressive line-up of artists, including JUDAS PRIEST, QUEENSRŸCHE, DREAM THEATER, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, JETHRO TULL and more.

RIVAL SONS guitarist SCOTT HOLIDAY comments:

"We're extremely fired up to be part of one of the hardest rocking festivals... HIGH VOLTAGE! Playing alongside pioneers like Judas Priest and Jethro Tull is a great, great honor. This will also be the last show on our tour supporting Judas Priest, capping it off quite nicely."

The official RIVAL SONS app is available now for iPhone, completely free. The app includes two free listenable tracks from the new EP, along with the latest news, photos, videos and more. There's also an exclusive secret teaser trailer for the band's forthcoming new album, PRESSURE AND TIME, which is due to be released in May on Earache Records.

The band are working with producer JOSH SCHROEDER (THE CATALYST, SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY) at Random Awesome Studios in Bay City, Michigan, to record the as-yet untitled album. The album is due to be released later this year on Earache Records.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Scottish death metallers CEREBRAL BORE have confirmed a US tour in support of their forthcoming new album, MANIACAL MISCREATION.

CEREBRAL BORE will be headlining the tour, which runs throughout June and includes a headlining performance at the Las Vegas Deathfest on June 11th. Supporting the band on the tour will be INSIDIOUS DECREPANCY, TRIFIXION and MERCILESS PRECISION.

CEREBRAL BORE guitarist PAUL MCGUIRE comments:

"This will be our third trip to the US and we are looking forward to this tour in particular. Especially as we are headlining the awesome Las Vegas Deathfest. Last time we played Las Vegas, no one had heard of us, so to go back and headline a fest packed with bands we have listened to for years is a big thing for us, and a second trip to Area 51 won't go amiss either!"

Thursday, March 10, 2011

The band are holed up at Random Awesome Studios in Bay City, Michigan with producer JOSH SCHROEDER (THE CATALYST, SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY) to record the as-yet untitled album, which is due to be released later this year on Earache Records.

THE BROWNING drummer NOAH ROBERTSON comments:

"Hey guys, it's Noah here from The Browning! We survived the journey from Texas to Michigan! We're up here at Random Awesome Studios recording the new album and it's sounding killer!!! We can't wait for everyone to hear this new material. The songs are heavier, the electronics are evolved, and the overall sound has come a long way since the first recordings.

"It's day four in the studio and we've already got a lot of work done so far, so the process is going really smoothly and the tones we are getting are unreal!!! When it's all said and done, this new album is going to change lives and melt faces! We've posted some studio updates on our YouTube channel and we're going to be posting a lot more soon... Stay tuned!"

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Chicago deathcore heavyweights, OCEANO were named as one of Alternative Press magazine's 100 Bands You Need To Know In 2011. Distinguished for being one of the heaviest acts on the list, OCEANO's story is a remarkable one which is touched upon in a 1 page feature within the April 2011 issue (in stores now). In it, vocalist, Adam Warren touches upon the changes made before CONTAGION was written, the constant battle for respect out of certain segments of the metal audience and vocal techniques that keep the formidable frontman on his toes over the course of the hundreds of shows that the Billboard charting act plays each year.

OCEANO's feature in the April 2011 issue of Alternative Press magazine is also remarkable for the dark and disturbing photograph that accompanies it. The band is featured amongst rows of dead deer hung in a dank slaughterhouse. The photograph brings the band full circle in some respects, paying homage to the banned MySpace photos that caused an uproar when the band first signed to EARACHE RECORDS.

Chicago deathcore heavyweights, OCEANO will be participating in Alternative Press magazine's free, all-ages party at Emo's in Austin, TX on Saturday, March 19th. The party, taking place during this year's hotly anticipated SXSW festival features handpicked acts from Alternative Press' 100 Bands You Need To Know In 2011 issue and The AP Tour. No RSVP required; this is free to the public!

Californian thrashers BONDED BY BLOOD kick off their European tour with LAZARUS A.D. tonight, Wednesday 9th March in London, UK.

BONDED BY BLOOD and fellow US thrashers LAZARUS A.D. will be co-headlining the tour, which will see the bands tear their way around 14 European countries. The shows will be BONDED BY BLOOD's first appearances in Europe with their new frontman, MAURO GONZALEZ.

"Bonded By Blood is finally returning to Europe to do a proper tour! We are so excited to finally finish what we started back in '09 with Fueled By Fire when we ran into troubles and had to cancel the remainder of the tour and disappoint so many fans.

"This time we are part of a co-headlining tour with Lazarus A.D.; both of us just shared the stage on a Death Angel US tour, and together we're hitting plenty of countries and mashing tons more faces! With the addition of our new singer Mauro Gonzalez, we are ready now more than ever and can't wait to see familiar faces and make some new friends and party down! See you on the killing road..."

Catch BONDED BY BLOOD on tour in Europe with LAZARUS A.D. at the following shows:

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Dallas, TX electro deathcore act, THE BROWNING are now holed up with producer Josh Schroeder (THE CATALYST, SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY) at Random Awesome Studios in Bay City, MI recording their brand new album set for release later this year. The band have set up a webcam in the studio and are inviting fans to see what they're up to LIVE 24/7 on their official Stickam page. Present highlights from the live studio stream include vocal tracking, playback of several new "work in progress" tracks in full, a group ramen meal, a discussion on Pokemon and lots of fan interaction. THE BROWNING are also planning special events like overnight live chats, a vocal booth cam session and much more. Anything can happen at a moment's notice so keep watching!

British thrashers EVILE have been confirmed to play at this year's High Voltage festival, which takes place on July 23rd and 24th at Victoria Park in London, UK.

EVILE were among the latest bands to be recently announced for the UK's Download festival, as well as Masters of Rock in the Czech Republic. The band are now due to perform alongside even more rock legends at High Voltage, including JUDAS PRIEST, QUEENSRYCHE, JETHRO TULL and more.

EVILE bassist JOEL GRAHAM comments:

"It's awesome to be added to the High Voltage festival - for the name Evile to be on the same poster that contains the such legendary names of Judas Priest, Jethro Tull, Dream Theater and Queensryche is an absolute mind f**k... It's amazing. More than a couple of us in Evile are prog fans so I'm sure we'll be hanging around the Prog Stage a lot. For me personally, I became a huge Jethro Tull fan after doing a deal with my father; he agreed to take me to see Anthrax when I was about 11, if in return he could take me to see Tull around the same time, so he got me hooked. Ol (Drake) also has a very uncanny likeness to a young Ian Anderson, so I'm hoping they bump into each other over the weekend."

EVILE have also been added to the bill for Masters of Rock in the Czech Republic, where the band will be performing on July 17th. For more information, go to http://www.mastersofrock.cz

EVILE have also confirmed a UK show with Taiwanese metallers CHTHONIC, which takes place next Friday, March 18th at the Underworld in London.

EVILE's thrash metal anthem, "Thrasher", is available now on the Rock Band Network, along with every song from the band's latest album, INFECTED NATIONS. Get the tracks now by heading to EVILE's official Rock Band page at http://www.rockband.com/songs/artists/Evile

Monday, March 07, 2011

North Carolina doom metallers, HOUR OF 13 were pleased to introduce veteran vocalist, Ben Hogg (BIRDS OF PREY, BEATEN BACK TO PURE) into the fold this past Saturday night in New York City. He and the band played a powerful set to a packed NYC crowd all there to celebrate the band's recent reissue of THE RITUALIST, a modern classic of doom metal. Ben performed superbly and gave the band a stronger presence that will no doubt make the band a force to be reckoned with as widespread touring plans are falling into place in 2011.

HOUR OF 13 guitarist and founder, Chad Davis recently had this to say about Ben Hogg: "HOUR OF 13 could not be more pleased with the dedication and amount of work Ben has shown. He is a valuable talent to have in the band. He is a vital presence that we were needing in the fold and thanks to him, we are stronger and more focused than ever."

Shortly before HOUR OF 13's NYC appearance, they audio of Ben Hogg singing to some of the band's best songs during a rehearsal session. Listen to 3 exclusive tracks featuring that put the band's new vocalist to the test at http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2011/02/14/hourof13demos/

Friday, March 04, 2011

Los Angeles blues-infused rock act, RIVAL SONS announced a number of dates for shows taking place in and around Canadian Music Week and SXSW. Playing showcases during these two highly influential festivals has helped break new bands and sent others onto greater heights. To say that these shows are important is an understatement, but RIVAL SONS, already having performed in front of major audiences at the Indy 500, Voodoo Music Experience and HMV Next Big Thing festival, are excited to take their crowd pleasing show to the music-hungry fans and industry figures that will populate the clubs of Toronto, Canada and Austin, TX this month.

In between their festival dates, RIVAL SONS will also play two House of Blues shows in the Midwest rock strongholds of Cleveland, OH and Chicago, IL. Over the course of this trek, the band will be making crowds come alive as they have while playing alongside the likes of AC/DC, KID ROCK & GENE SIMMONS. No matter where the band has played, whether it be in an arena filled with thousands of US soldiers or the small, yet packed rooms of the CMJ Music Marathon, they have impressed many with their high energy mix of blues, soul and raucous rock & roll. Go see the band on their upcoming dates:

A new, official app from Californian blues-rockers RIVAL SONS is available now for free on iPhone from the iTunes App Store. The official app is the best way to stay up-to-date with everything RIVAL SONS, and includes two incredible tracks from the band's new self-titled EP, available to listen to for free. The app also features the band's latest news, photos, videos and an exclusive secret teaser trailer for the band's forthcoming new album, which is due to be released this summer on Earache Records.

WORMROT, Singapore's number 1 grindcore export will be shooting 2 new music videos at tonight's show at The Blvd in Los Angeles, CA. Directed by Dave Vorhes (WHITE WIZZARD, BONDED BY BLOOD), these videos for the DIRGE songs. "Erased Existence" and "Spot a Pathetic" will capture WORMROT at their loud, riotous best. All those in attendance at tonight's show must be prepared to step up their game, let loose and get extreme. The band is looking for the audience to set an example that all of their future crowds should follow. WORMROT's Dirge Across America tour continues tonight at The Blvd in Los Angeles, CA. The tour will take WORMROT from coast to coast in the months of March and April of this year. Appearances at the highly anticipated Scion Rock Fest and SXSW music festival will be among many of the tour's major highlights to come. Here are the dates:

WORMROT have debuted another new track from their forthcoming release, DIRGE. Entitled, "Spot A Pathetic" this new track, much like the majority of them on DIRGE is short, speedy, brutal and ugly -- just the way grindcore should be. Listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT9YsOVZwl8

Canadian blackened doom merchants WOODS OF YPRES are preparing for the worldwide release of their acclaimed album, WOODS 4: THE GREEN ALBUM.

Originally released in late 2009, WOODS 4: THE GREEN ALBUM is due to be reissued by Earache Records on March 14th in Europe and March 22nd in North America.

WOODS OF YPRES founding member and frontman DAVID GOLD discusses the writing process for the album (part 1):

"The writing process for W4: The Green Album began while sitting on my bed, aimlessly writing riffs in my Seoul, South Korea apartment during my year in exile while living and teaching there in 2007-2008. The previous WOODS OF YPRES band had collapsed, as did all crucial parts of my former life in Toronto, Canada, suddenly in spring 2007. I fled to Korea to keep myself busy with work and new experiences until I could sort myself out and figure out my next move. I feared that if I were to slow down, I'd get low and drown. I knew I had to go far away, fast, and stay there until life started to make sense to me again.

"I quit my Toronto day job of the previous four years on the morning of my 27th birthday that June. During the following ten days, I packed what was left of myself into a suitcase and the rest into boxes and storage, and by July 1st, Canada Day, I found myself living and working in Seoul where everything was new, the future so completely unknown. It was actually quite terrifying in the beginning. Every waking moment was so uncomfortable that day to day living was agonizingly dreadful. At some point I went numb and became indifferent to everything. One day at a time, I developed a little more acceptance for the past while learning to live a little more within my new reality of life in Korea. Once the numbness melted away and I started to feel, think and form some opinions again, I started to write again, too.

"At the beginning of the journey, summer 2007, I no longer had a band, or anything more than a job to go to and a place to sleep. I was by myself, completely unknown on the other side of the world, 12 hours of time zones away from my former home and anything familiar. Teaching work kept me challenged and very busy and gave me a sense of purpose, but when not knowing what to do outside of work hours, I retired to my apartment for the night, made myself some dinner, watched the US Army TV channel (the one channel I got in English), played guitar, maybe wrote riffs and maybe scribbled down a few thoughts that eventually became WOODS OF YPRES songs.

"Twelve months of hurt, exploring, longing, thinking, documenting, teaching, sleeping, waking, eating, drinking, walking around the city listening to Nick Cave, Katatonia and The Magnetic Fields on my iPod, venturing out, getting lost, finding my way and drumming for the Seoul, South Korea metal band NECRAMYTH later, plus a well earned, month long reward trip to Finland for metal and more drinking on the way home from Korea and I was back in Canada, wanting to bring WOODS OF YPRES back from the dead, much like I had done with myself."

Check back soon for part 2.

WOODS OF YPRES are due to kick off a North American tour next week in support of WOODS 4: THE GREEN ALBUM. Catch the band live at the following shows: